Forum Systems and PortWise announced the successful integration of Forum Systems XWall Web Services Firewall with the PortWise 4.5 SSL VPN and available as a bundled solution. This partnership addresses the need for combined SSL traffic security with deep content inspection and security of XML documents exchanged by employee, partner, and consumer interactions within corporate applications and data across the Internet. Forum XWall is able to scan binary attachments embedded with XML documents that can carry viruses and malicious software undetected across corporate networks. XML will increasingly be used as a file format for office applications and as a standard for spreadsheets, presentations as well as databases.

Companies are deploying Secure Sockets Layer virtual private networks (SSL VPNs) to provide private and restricted remote access to corporate systems. While SSL VPNs are able to manage SSL traffic, these products are unable to enforce security policies on the actual content that is traveling within SSL tunnels. Malicious activity, access to unauthorized information and embedded viruses are effectively obscured within XML structured messages, More over, the use of Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) for business transactions requires first decrypting the network traffic in order to enforce message-level security policies. This level of deep content inspection, XML intrusion prevention and Web Services security is performed by the XML Firewall.

"PortWise recognizes that providing our customers with an integrated and secure way for users to connect to application and data resources goes hand in hand with the need to enforce perimeter policies that check the integrity of content and control access to exposed enterprise Web Services," said Kaushik Thakkar, vice president of strategic alliances and business development for PortWise. "Forum Systems XWall brings the required Web Services security functionality that our customers will need as they start to explore and actively use XML and Web Services."

"Over the last couple of years we have seen an assimilation of Web Services security into a wide range of IT infrastructure," said Walid Negm, vice president of marketing for Forum Systems. "This partnership with PortWise is further proof that we're reaching a point where companies can't afford to operate without this type of message-level and transactional security. Our work with PortWise is a leading indicator that one day SSL and XML security will be merged."

"The hype around Web Services outpaced that of just about every technology we covered this year. SOA, XML, AJAX and Web 2.0 have not only created new ways for businesses to work together, but also new avenues for intruders to gain access to your data and systems," said Mike Lee, editor of Network Computing. "Forum XWall is one of the few SOA security products that fight unnecessary complexity."